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The incidence of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) rises exponentially with age. Around 65% of those diagnosed with this medical entities are 60 years or older. For the exclusion of DVT and PE in patients older than 50 years, the use of D-dimer is less specific. That is why it is necessary to evaluate the sensibility and specificity using an age-adjusted cut-off value. Methods: A retrospective analysis of D-dimer results was made in patients over 50 years old hospitalized in March-June 2013. The clinical probability was calculated using Wells score. The D-dimer analysis was performed with the Cardiac Reader by Roche Diagnostics®. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were calculated using the universal cut-off value (0.5 µg/mL) and the one proposed by Haas and his team (age-adjusted cut-off value). Results: Using the universal cut-off value, the sensitivity obtained was 100%, specificity 25% (CI95% 0.13-0.36), positive predictive value (PPV) 13% and negative predictive value (NPV) 100%. Using the one proposed by Haas and his team, the sensitivity was 100%, specificity 36% (CI 95% 0.2-0.4), PPV 15%, NPV 100%. Conclusions: The use of an age-adjusted cut-off value and the combination with a low clinical probability (Wells score) greatly increase the proportion of older patients in whom DVT and PE can safely be excluded without needing further studies like compression ultrasonography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anaerobic bacteria's are part of the normal human microbiota, that's why is important to know their behavior in the host. Finegoldia magna formerly known as Peptostreptococcus magnus, are Gram-positive anaerobic coccus. Commensally and opportunistic bacteria, that is found in the skin, oral cavity or gastrointestinal tract. Normally is isolated in cultures from soft tissue infection, in prosthetic joint infection and vaginosis. Always accompanied with other bacteria's, therefore it is not known as a cause agent in infection. In these report case, we isolated a pure rod of Finegoldia magna from a non puerperal and recurrent breast abscess. The sample was inoculated in blood agar CDC, with a gas system generation, for an anaerobic atmosphere. Vitek 2 System was used for the identification of the bacteria by using a biochemical profile. A slow growth was found in blood agar after 72 hours of incubation at 37 °C, and the Vitek 2 system identified the microorganism as F. magna, with a 99% of trust level of probability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The automated analyzers are mechanism systems that are employed to realize the blood cellular count and leukocyte formula. In these days exist, some analyzers that have an extended differential count, in which includes immature granulocytes, reticulocytes count, and nucleated red blood cells. That's why is important to analyze the precision on these new parameters. Objective: Analyze the performance of Sysmex XT1800i in the immature granulocyte parameter in comparison with the manual count. Material and methods: For an eight week period all the samples analyzed for complete blood count were recollected and only were selected the ones with immature granulocytes alarm. Comparison between automated and manual count was made. Manual count was done according some points of the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards H20-A document. Results: 120 samples were analyzed, in which 20 did not demonstrated the presence of immature granulocytes by the manual count, in this samples Sysmex XT1800i was able to analyze 0.1x10³, which is impossible in a manual differential. The correlation between both methods was r: 0.55. Conclusion: It is necessary the use of the manual count, for the confirmation of these parameter, because the presence of immature granulocytes in the blood film would make us think in an important infectious or inflammatory process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]